early bird gets the worm
by maravelous
Summary: AU; "It's raining again today." — NejiTen
1. Stupid Ignorant Worms

Hello everyone!  
for people that know me, I decided to put this story up since you aproved! I can take care of three stories at once, I know I can. i'll do my best! :)  
For everyone that doesn't know me, it's very nice to meet you, i am marachan, you can check out my profile to see more about me. for now, i'm glad you're reading my story! -bows- :D  
As the title and description suggests, this idea came to me when I was walking to school early in the morning and these worms started attacking me. Yes, they squiggled out of the mud and got in my way. It was nasty. But I thought, hm, what if worms aren't so bad? So me and my friend 'researched'. We picked one up, and we found out it was actually a little cute. You'll see! ;)

Enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

I know. As sure as I know my hair and eyes are as brown as a chocolate bar and gravity is frighteningly convincible, I know one thing as soon as I step outside my house into the fine mist of humidity and good old H2o known to us good people as rain; _this is gonna suck_.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_1. Stupid Ignorant Worms_

_Waking up at the start of the end of the world,  
But its feeling just like every morning before,  
Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone_

Konoha is a disgusting city to live in.

Why's that, you ask? I have to walk to school. What's the problem, you ask? It's always raining. Why's that so bad, you ask? To that question, I have one answer, my friend:

_The worms_.

They squirm out of their little hiding places in the mud and dew-stained grass and I end up _stepping_ on them when I'm walking to school, with a sickening _squish_ that my over-memorable ears have to replay whenever I see the little slimy creature. Stupid ignorant worms! Can't they tell a sidewalk's made for walking? Shouldn't they have _learned_ that by now?!

The rain isn't heavy, today, fortunately. It's barely even raining. But it's still annoying to me, especially when my jeans get soaked at the bottom and my shoes squeak on the stupid shiny linoleum on the floors of my crazy high school, Konoha High. Not really a creative name for a high school, am I right? That's not my fault, though. It's the idiots that founded the place!

Even though my high school is literally across the street, and I just have to cross the busy road to get to it, I _hate_ walking to school. It's not _only_ the rain. It's the fact that I've never actually _liked_ long walks. I always get a stitch in my side or my feet and legs start to ache, and it just gets so _tedious_. Trudging along a skinny stretch of cement down a godforsaken street with the occasional weirdo in his shiny silver car that thinks he's the coolest thing in the world beeping his horn at you and jeering, "_Yeah_, baby!" out the window has never appealed to me, understandably enough.

But I have to. I have no parents to drive me, after all. See, my parents dropped me off by myself in my crappy, pocket-sized apartment when I turned fifteen last year so I could get to experience what they called an 'early independence.'

And my only friend that _could_ possibly give me a ride to school, Hinata Hyuuga, has the strictest father mother-nature has ever created, and would probably choke on his own inhaler as soon as he spotted me. That's because he's the leader of the famous Hyuuga family, who run numerous dojos across the world, and would be ashamed to see someone as poor as me.

Rich bastards…

So here I am, a junior and still not owning a car, because I have to pay off my debts at my apartment instead of using the money to buy myself one, and standing at the cross walk in the light drizzle of water that I hate oh so much.

Oh, and there it is. The first worm that dares approach me. It's squiggling right in front of my shoe like a fish out of water. I stick my tongue out and make a mental note to skirt it. Which I do as soon as the little white dude flashes to me across the street, signaling I can go ahead and walk and not be run over by a jeep and spend the rest of my life a vegetable in a wheelchair being cooed to by nurses in a hospital.

I sigh in relief as I finally get all the way across the street. I hadn't stepped on a single worm. Now, I just have to go down the sidewalk a bit and get to the actual school. "That's good, no squishy worm guts for me!" I say to myself under my breath. Yeah, I talk to myself when I'm walking to school. Hey, it's not like anyone can hear me!

_Squish_!

"EEW!" I shriek, and I jump away from the poor squashed mini-snake-look-a-like that I had stepped on when I spoke _way_ too soon. "Damn! Just when I thought I'd gotten through _one morning_ without stepping on a stupid thing, and now I go ahead and _do_! Stupid nasty worms, getting in my way!"

"Do you mind? That yelling is getting annoying." a silky voice says suddenly.

My eyes widen, and I swivel around to stare at a boy standing there, glaring at me. He has long, coffee brown hair, white-lavender eyes that I bet I could just stare through all day and never get bored, and a truly attractive, oval face. He's wearing a grey hoodie, the hood pulled over his head and his hands in his pockets, and jeans. A simple enough outfit, but I know better. People who dress like that secretly quench for attention, and dress that way to stand out amongst the flashy cloths everyone wears now-a-days.

Or else they get enough attention already. I wouldn't be surprised; He is _hott_! Like, _really_ hott. I've never seen a guy this attractive _ever_. Maybe he's a model or something? Compared to my skin, even if his is paler than mine, it's smooth and firm and flawless. And I'm wearing less expensive looking cloths, just a crimson jacket without a hood over a tee shirt and jeans. Nothing special. He makes me feel so low and…

Whoa, get a hold of yourself, TenTen, he's staring at you!

I try to make sure my jaw is still in tact and not falling open, and thin my lips just to be positive _and_ make an equally annoyed aura at the same time. "Sorry. Bastard." I say, not thinking.

He raises an eyebrow. "What did you call me?"

My eyes widen. _Shit_! I did _not_ just say that! Why do insults just _drop_ out of my mouth like that?! "Um...I said...dog turd! I saw some over there, and I was warning you not to step in it!" I say quickly. _Genius_!

"Where would that be, again?" he asks, smirking and shifting a little to one side. His eyes are dancing in amusement, even in their void-of-pupils state.

"Um…would you look at that, it disappeared. Weird, maybe I'm seeing things."

"You suck at lying." he says simply, his voice full of mirth.

I frown and turn around. It's best to just ignore people like this. That's what people say, at least. But as I walk away, I can't take it anymore. I turn around one more time, ready to yell a come-back after him, but-

"Wha-?" I stumble backwards after running into a tough chest, and I look up at none other than the same boy. "What are you doing?!" we ask at the same time.

He sighs. "You're annoying, you know that?"

I glare at him. "Do you _mind_?! I'm trying to walk to school!"

"I am too. But it doesn't look like you're fully concentrated on that, why did you have to turn around all of a sudden and bang into me?" We're standing still now, arguing with each other in loud voices, facing each other and so close it's uncomfortable for both of us, but we ignore that.

I don't want him to think that I turned around for _him_. So I think up a lie really quick. "I noticed you behind me, so I turned around. Why were you so close behind me anyways?!"

"I _wasn't_. You just started running and gathered distance, in case you haven't noticed."

"No I didn't! You were right there!" I say. I turned on my heel. "Would you just leave me alone?!"

"You're the one that-!"

"Oh shut up!"

-

As soon as I climb up the last step of the staircase in Konoha High I'm greeted by a happy, "Morning, TenTen!"

Behold; there are all my friends, sitting against the wall of the school. Before the first bell rings, we're allowed to listen to our ipods and do basically anything we want. That's what we do every morning at the same place where we meet each other. It's typical, huh?

First friend, the one that greeted me, is Rock Lee. Obsessed with youth and pretty crazy, but a polite, caring, and loyal friend.

Next to him is Kiba Inuzuka, whose mother works at a veterinary office and whose older sister runs the local humane society. He's a wild kid, I have to admit, but a lot of fun. He sends me a grin before tuning into his ipod.

At the moment, he's sitting against the wall next to Sakura and Ino, who are fixing each other's hair and checking their makeup. They both send me a grin before turning back to continue. They're both the most girly girls I've ever met, and have temper issues that make my short attention span seem like an ant in front of a lion. But both are pretty nice when they have to be, even if they do get into fights a lot.

Then there's Naruto and Sasuke, arguing with each other as usual. Both of them _never shut up_ about who's better than who and have this crazy friendly rivalry going on that I doubt will ever end. Their bodies will probably decompose into flowers, fighting for light. The thing is, they're complete opposites. Naruto's hyper and obnoxious, and everyone has wanted to hit him hard on the head at least once. And Sasuke, on the other hand, is cool, calm, and collected, and almost every girl in the school has wanted to go out with him at least once.

And finally, Hinata Hyuuga, sitting and finishing her homework. She smiles at me as I drag my damp self over, shoes squeaking, and sink into a sitting position next to her. She's a shy girl, but she's sweet natured and I don't think she's ever been rude to a single person in her life. She's the best friend I've ever had, and I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have her.

"Good morning, TenTen. How are you?" she asks politely. I give her a look, and she giggles sheepishly. "Right. You don't look too good. Is it because you had to walk in the rain?"

"Yup." I say, smacking my lips on the 'p'. I sigh and lean against the wall. "It sucked this morning. There was this weird dude following me around, and we got into an argument in the middle of the sidewalk."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, but I ended it quickly and ignored him. I didn't look back once. I don't know where he went."

Hinata laughs, then she stops and sighs. "To tell the truth, I haven't been having a very good morning so far either."

"Really? What happened?"

"Well, you know how I told you about my older cousin, Neji?"

I nod. She had told me about him plenty of times. But I don't know much about him, and I've never met him. All I know is that he goes to this school, and he's a year older than us. Hinata said that his father died when he was young, and he's been forced to live with her and her father, his uncle, ever since. From what she's told me, he and his uncle don't get along too well.

"Well, Neji wasn't in his room this morning, and father drove me to school without him. I'm worried. I haven't seen him since last night when he got in an argument with father and he locked himself in his room. I hope he didn't run away." She looks sad as she said this, and I immediately feel the need to cheer her up.

So I smile. "I wouldn't worry too much, Hinata. I'm sure he's fine."

She smiles right back at me. "I hope you're right."

-

It's still raining by lunch. I sigh as I walk with Hinata through the rain in the court yard. This sucks even more. Hinata _loves_ rain. I watch her as she walks around, the hood of her violet zip-up pulled protectively over her head, smiling and looking around at all the rain that falls, sprinkling and sparkling like diamonds, around her. That's how she described raindrops to me once when we walked through the courtyard at lunch another day in the past, anyways.

She notices me as I scuff my foot through the thin layer of water on the cement. "TenTen, do you want to go inside?"

I look up at her. "No, I couldn't leave you alone out here!" I say as a group of kids run past, laughing loudly, as they play tag, of all the random things. Who am I kidding, I hate this.

She smiles. "It's alright, I'm fine by myself." she says. "I just feel like taking a walk. You can go inside if you don't want to be out here."

"Well, okay, if you're sure." I say uncertainly, and I cross the courtyard and walk back inside. I sit on the bench by the wall and stare out the window, watching the drops of water slither down the windows, glinting at me through the glass that's been smudged by the fingers of countless teens that the janitors are too tired to thoroughly disinfect after hours and hours of scrubbing toilets.

"Could you move? You're sitting on my backpack." I jump and turn to see the same boy from this morning. He seems a little surprised to see me as well, but quickly rearranges his face to the same old scowl as I stare at him. Wow, with his hood back he looks even better. I wonder if he _is_ a model. That would explain the perfect skin, since he can buy himself skin care products that celebrities use, and the long perfect hair, he could buy the most amazing shampoo available. "Are you going to move or what?"

Whoa, was I blanking out _that long_?

I move quickly and glare at him as he steps forward. "You could be a little more polite!"

"And you could be a little more observant." he retorts as he collects his backpack.

"Geeze, I wonder if you have any friends."

"Excuse me?"

Whoops. I blurted out an insult again. "Um...I said I wonder if you have any lead? For my mechanical pencil, I ran out!" Oh, score for TenTen!

"I have two answers to that. No, and you're a terrible liar."

Okay, that makes me mad. "You already said that!"

"And it seems it hasn't gotten across to you yet, since you keep lying to me." he says, back to me now. He walks away, leaving me on the bench to seethe silently.

--

_Next…_

"This is _endless_!"  
"Don't expect it to end too soon. You started it."

--

haha, this is gonna be cute. I'm excited to write more of it!  
My goal chapter-wise is going to be ten chapters?  
Oh, I don't know. We'll see! ;D  
Review please?  
I want 10+ reviews, I think I can get that! :)  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	2. You Started It!

Hey guys!

Thanks to:  
.xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., TaintedImpurity, frenchkittycat08, kimiko77, weiquan1, RandomReader007, Nerd4eva, Daisy Valentine, SMOKe13, The-Trapped-Phoenix, tentenXshikamaru, Uchiha Sayaka, Asura of Love, HisEyesMyName-AmBeR159, SomeRandomThing, Sunny Soul, Skelex, XxXPippinXxX, Shikyo no Amatsu Shinsei, Dygengard, Hikoru, Aniki, Shenhui, sallyluv16, Tilders

…wow…o.O…I got _way_ more than my goal. thanks so much! :D here's another update for you! don't get too excited, this is only an early update for once…

Enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

Why?! That's the question going through my head as I stare glumly out the window of my bedroom this morning, still in my pajamas, which are a simple grey sweatpants and a baggy black shirt, my hair down in a tangled mess; staring out at the rain that's showering my window in a steady taboo. Damn it. _Not again!_

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_2. You Started It!_

_The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour if that  
I started staring at the passengers waving goodbye  
Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time_

The cars' tires hiss against the pavement of the street that I walk next to on the skinny stretch of sidewalk, crossing my arms around myself and glaring at the ground as my hair goes a little limp with the rain. Luckily my twin buns on top of my head are stiff and don't fall out too easily.

Heh. Take that, rain! Try to fight _my_ hair!

I finally get to the crosswalk and stop. And as I do, well…

_Squish_!

I mutter curses under my breath as the little white dude flashes at me and I trudge across the street, dragging my foot a little to get rid of whatever's on the bottom of my shoe.

'Worm guts' flies through my mind, and I gag a little as I finally get all the way across.

"What a hideous noise. Try not to do that often."

I stiffen, skidding to a halt in the rain, and I turn.

Yeah, there he is again. What is he, a stalker?

I glare at him and open my mouth to retort, but then…

_Squish_!

"EWW!"

"And would you mind not _yelling_ so loudly?" he says, rolling his eyes and looking annoyed.

"Leave me alone!" I snap, and I turn my back to him and stomp away with as much dignity as I can muste-

_Squish, squish, squish_!

"Ah, _crap_!"

"You are honestly the strangest person I've ever seen."

"Would you shut up?!" I am _really_ getting frustrated now. "You're annoying me!"

"The feeling's mutual."

"Damn it!"

I glare at him.

He glares right back.

We have a glaring contest until I stop it.

"This is _endless_!" I declare dramatically.

"Don't expect it to end too soon. You started it."

"Oh shut your trap!"

-

"Morning, Hinata." I mutter as I lower myself to sit next to her.

She looks up at me from her homework. "Bad morning for you again?" she asks over Naruto and Sasuke shouting at each other about who's taller than who and Sakura and Ino giggling over something. Kiba and Lee, thank their souls, are silent, Kiba listening to his ipod and Lee doing his homework like Hinata.

"Yeah." I say. "The same thing happened that happened yesterday!"

Hinata giggles. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're not alone. Naruto and Sasuke have been arguing all morning. And Sakura forgot her mascara."

"Oh, the tragedy."

She giggles again. "And, well...Neji-nii-san still refuses to speak with us. He came home last night, but late. And he wasn't in his room again this morning."

"That's weird." I say. "But I was right, he's okay."

"Yes, but I'm still worried about him." The bell rings, and I stand and wait for Hinata to fold everything into her bag.

"It's raining again. Do you want to go to the courtyard for lunch?" I ask.

She stands as well and looks at me. "Yes, I'm feeling a little concerned about my cousin. I feel like taking a walk and thinking. Oh, but you don't have to come!"

"Okay. I'll sit in the hall again, if that's okay with you."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine with me. I'm sorry I'm leaving you on your own like this, TenTen, but I feel the need to think when I'm in the rain. Thank you for understanding."

"No problem!"

-

Okay, maybe it _is_ a problem. At least I checked to make sure I'm not sitting on a backpack again today… Here I am, sitting on the same old bench, bored out of my mind. It's not like I hate the _rain_, just the _walking_ and the _worms_…I shudder as I remember this morning when I stepped on…let's count…_Squish_, one, _squish_, two, _squish, squish, squish_, five…

"Ugh…"

"_Why_ must you always make those noises?"

Don't tell me…

I glare at the bench to my right. That's right. None other than my personal stalker. "Why do you have to be _everywhere_?!"

"I was going to ask you the same question." he says, glaring right back. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for a friend of mine. Now get lost!"

"Well that's refreshing, you're not trying to cover your insults up for once. And no, I don't have to move if I don't want to. I was here first, after all. Isn't that, like, some sort of rule?"

"That's it! Hinata can wait, I'm out of here!" I stand suddenly and start to walk away. However, I notice that he had stiffened when I said her name.

"Hinata-sama…?" he asks under his breath.

Weird.

Come to think about it, doesn't he have the same eyes as Hinata?

Hey…could he be…?

I shake my head and laugh at myself. What am I thinking? That's impossible. Besides, she said he was missing recently…

-

The only thing worse than walking to school in the rain is walking back home after the rain. I've said this before; I've never liked long walks. It's even worse when Sakura's nagging is still ringing in my head. I had run into her after school and she asked me if I had any mascara she could borrow, since she forgot hers. I never carry makeup around in my bag, I've always found that sort of thing stupid. So I said that to her, and she started yapping about how immature I am.

How am I immature? Compared to her, I am the most mature person in the world! Honestly, she _acts_ like she's twenty one, but really she has the mind of a twelve year old. Blabbering about boys and makeup and boys and hair and boys and manicures and boys and pedicures…

Did I mention boys? Yeah, that's Sakura and Ino for you, totally _obsessed_ with the male species. How they find hot boys so appealing, I'll never know. Sure, they make you feel all nervous and self conscious around them, but it's not like they're _gods_. Oh no, I know a god-guy when I see one, and trust me, I've _never_ seen one.

Especially not that pretty boy I keep on running into recently. Yeah, he's pretty. Who am I kidding, he's the hottest, sexiest, most gorgeous boy I've ever met in my entire life. But I'm not going to do everything he says and start crushing on him, for goodness sake. I'm not _that_ dense. Besides, his personality is a _total_ turn-off.

I sigh and stare at the sky as I come to a stand at the crosswalk. The clouds are still dark grey and stormy, but they've parted to show the bright blue of the sky, and in the humidity a little rainbow has appeared, stretched across that bridge of blue.

I smile. "Pretty…" I say to myself absentmindedly.

The white dude flashes the okay, and I cross the street, still glancing at the sky occasionally. Not aware of someone watching me the whole time.

--

_Next…_

"Do you even know who I am?"  
"...No…"  
"Neji Hyuuga."  
"...Shit…"

--

Hee…x3  
I love this! It's gonna be super kawaii. oh, and it's not going to be all based on romance and all. I'm gonna add some nice psychology stuff in there too, starting in chapter four!  
btw, I have all the chapters basically laid out, and I was wrong, there's gonna be eight chapters in all.  
Review! I want: 40? :)  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	3. Who are you Again?

Hey guys!

Thanks to:  
Tilders, Nerd4eva, Daisy Valentine, HisEyesMyName-AmBeR159, Aura of Love, kimiko77, PandaTen, Shikyo no Amatsu Shinsei, EmiKoizumi.x, ShinobiXAngel, Skelex, INYO, When Panic Attacks, tentenXshikamaru, midnite requiem, sallyluv16, RandomReader007, Dygengard, KuriousK8D, .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., Merciless Ruby

thanks so much, you all rock my socks off. keep it up! ;D sorry bout the late in the day update.

Enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

There are three good reasons to stay home from school today, and I'm going over them in my head as I gaze in a gloom out my window, rain drops staining the glass like tear tracks. One, it's raining. Got the obvious over with. Two, I didn't finish my homework last night. Gai-sensei's gonna kill me. And three, I feel like I'm gonna drop dead any second. Lack of sleep equals _bad day_.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_3. Who Are You Again?_

_But I believe the world is burning to the ground  
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out  
Let's see how far we've come_

I had a nightmare last night, which kept me awake for hours on end. It was about Sakura eating my head off. Don't get me wrong, I think that's as disturbing as you probably do. Maybe it has something to do with how she was nagging me yesterday about make up and her temper tantrums just make that nightmare slightly possible. Or else I'm mentally retarded.

I ponder this as I cross the street, head bent to shield myself from the rain. Maybe I was dropped on my head at birth…?

"I _did_ once bang my head on a screen door…"

"How predictable."

"It was really clean!"

"I'll believe that."

I stop in my tracks. "Wait…it's _you_!" I point at, yeah, the same old brown haired boy that has been following me for the past two days.

"Delayed reaction?" he asks sarcastically. "You really need to stop talking to yourself."

"Oh shut up! You're a real aggravator, kid!"

"I'm not a kid, compared to you. I doubt you're even older than me."

"Five bucks I am."

"Do you even know who I am?"

"...No…" I admit.

He smirks, as if he's won some sort of game. "Neji Hyuuga."

"...Shit…"

"Hyuuga influence catching up to you?"

"No. I don't care about that, I'm best friends with Hinata after all. It's that I owe you five bucks…"

He raises an eyebrow. "You already know I'm older than you. You've heard that much about me?"

"No, you're Hinata's older cousin. She told me about you." I say as if it's nothing.

"Aa…" He looks thoughtful as he just stares into the distance.

I glance sideways at him and frown. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all, considering I have no idea what you're talking about."

I resist the urge to smile at that. "You're walking by me."

"Wrong. _You're_ walking by _me_."

"No I'm not! I always walk at this pace!"

"Well so do I, so you'll have to speed up or slow down."

"No, _you_!"

"I can do whatever I want, I was walking down this sidewalk first, then you popped up out of nowhere."

"I was crossing the road from my house, Hyuuga!"

"Oh, now we're on last name basis?"

"Argh!"

-

That sarcasm really ticks me off. Really aggravates me. But for some reason, it really intrigues me. Like, I want to get to know him better or something...

Weird, right?

"Morning, TenTen." Kiba says sleepily as I climb up the stair case and cross over to my friends against the wall.

"Good morning, TenTen!" Lee calls, ecstatic as usual.

Sasuke and Naruto both try to beat each other saying hello to me, and they tie, then get dragged into another argument, and Sakura and Ino completely ignore me, still doing each other's hair and makeup.

I roll my eyes at that and sit next to Hinata. She smiles. "Morning, TenTen." she says sweetly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." I say, stretching. As I do so, I debate whether I should tell her that it's _Neji_ I've been walking next to all along. That is was _Neji Hyuuga_, Hinata's older cousin, a _relative_, the one she's been worried about for the past week, that's been ruining my already ruined mornings, if that's possible.

Well of course I should tell her, what am I thinking?!

But then I think; Maybe I _shouldn't_… I mean, there must be a reason he's _walking_ to school from such a long distance, and she _did_ say that he got into an argument with Hiashi not too long ago. Maybe something happened? So maybe I should ask him about it before I tell anyone. Yeah…We'll see!

-

Ah, lunch. The only time of day where you can lounge in the luxury that is a break from school work, unless you count dinner or snack breaks that you take between studying for tests or exams.

The lunch room is a small, crowded, sanitary white room with long grey tables and three lunch lines, a steady, untidy, swerving line of chatting kids to be more exact, leading up to a stand, ordering their food from an old wrinkly lady in a strange green apron and a set of bandana and hairnet in her frizzy, graying hair.

I'm looking distractedly at a certain one, pondering things. There she stands in front of a cash register, one of those ladies that grow old and never get a good job or boyfriend or even the house that she wants and all her friends are dying as she lives on, her only reason in life to pay the electricity bills.

It's the depressing life that I'm unfortunately looking forward to, if you'd like to put it sarcastically, since I'm one of those straight C students that will grow up in this downhill-heading economy only to lose their dreams. Sad and pathetic as that seems, well, you have to speak the truth in times like these, am I right? Pessimism is pessimism, but the truth is the truth.

So here I am, eating out of Hinata's bento box with the spare chopsticks she always brings. Why, you may ask, does she always bring a spare set of chopsticks to school? Because she has to share her lunch with me, so I don't starve. And why don't I bring my own lunch to school, you may ask?

Pardon my French, but I can't fucking afford one.

It's even worse when Hinata isn't here. Then I sit in the lunch room, where you're supposed to rejuvenate your energy, and just plain _lose_ it, lonely and bored, trying to ignore both the rumbling in my empty, deprived stomach, and the other kids munching on _feasts_ of chocolate and sugar consumed pop around me.

"TenTen, are you alright? You look pretty glum." Hinata says suddenly.

I look over at her and give her the most reassuring smile I can muster once I spot her worried face. "Oh, sorry, guess I'm zoning out!" Hey, I can't worry her pretty little head off. She's my life saver at lunch, after all.

She doesn't look convinced. "TenTen, is it the rain? You seem to hate the rain…"

"Huh? No, it's not the rain itself that I hate!" I say quickly, worried she might be disappointed in our lack of common enjoyments. "It's just…well, I've told you this before, I think, but it's the worms. They always get in my way."

She laughs. "Oh, yes, you've told me about that…Are you done?" She gestures to the bentoo box.

I nod. "Yeah, I'm not too hungry today, don't know why."

She shrugs. "It's alright, you seem to be in a strange mood lately; you don't have to stuff yourself. It's unhealthy. I'm going to throw this away, alright? Be right back."

"Okay, sure." I watch as Hinata leaves. As she throws the recyclable box away, she stares longingly out the windows, the rain bouncing off the glass. I frown as she walks back to me reluctantly. "Hinata, want to go for a walk outside?"

She beams at me.

-

Lunch was a nightmare.

Too annoyed by the worms, I decided to stay inside and sit on the bench, staring out at the rain as Hinata walked around with a big smile on her face, seeming to light the way. The total, polar opposite of me.

I didn't get to see Neji again. I don't know if I'm disappointed or just plain relieved. I'm leaning towards the relieved side, to tell the truth. He's annoying! However, when I think twice, I sort of _like _that sarcasm that matches mine. He's not like the other guys that try desperately to impress every girl they come across, including me…

Whoa, hold your horses there, TenTen!

What am I thinking again? Sheesh! I totally don't get it when my brain just _rambles_ like that.

I sigh loudly and glance up at the sky. Today it's not as pretty as it was yesterday...

_Squish_!

"Damn it! Not _after _school too?! It's not even raining! You stupid idiotic worms, can't you stay in the mud till it _rains_ at least?!"

"You honestly have no life."

Ugh. I _don't_ need to see Mr. Gloomy-face, AKA Neji Hyuuga, right now. But I look at him anyways, right behind me. "And _what_ makes you think that?" I demand, stopping in my tracks and putting my hands on my hips as he walks up to me calmly.

"You talk to yourself a lot. You must not have many friends."

"I do too! I have Sakura and Ino, even though they annoy the heck out of me, Sasuke and Naruto, even though they fight _way_ too much over who says hello to me first, Kiba, even though he's kinda crazy, and Lee, even if he's sort of weird. Oh, and of course Hinata!"

He looks at me. "That reminds me. Yesterday you said her name. You were waiting for her to come from the courtyard?"

"Yes."

"You're that close of friends with Hinata-sama?"

I take a moment to wonder why he calls her 'sama', then I say, "Yeah, we're best friends."

"So you must be 'Panda'."

I gape at him as we walk along, now side by side, whether I like it or not. "How do you know about my nickname?! Only Hinata knows about it!" Please don't tell me he's _that _much of a stalker! Hinata calls me Panda because of my hair, and it's been dubbed my personal nickname, but _privately_, we _both_ made sure of it.

"She talks about you at home." he says simply, not looking at me.

I stare in surprise, then smile. "Really?" How sweet…!

"Hn."

"You don't say much, do you, Mr. Gloomy Face?"

"…Mr. Gloomy Face…? I'm officially dubbing you the nickname-er of stray dogs."

"Touché? You're the one that called me Panda."

"That's Hinata's nickname for you. I'd call you by your real name if I knew it. By the way, you're missing your crosswalk."

"H-Huh?!" I skid to a halt quickly and realize he was telling the truth, I'd nearly passed by the crosswalk. I glare at him. "You distracted me!"

"Uh huh, whatever you say, Mrs. Unobservant."

"What kind of nickname is that?!"

"You called me Mr. Gloomy Face. Until I figure out your real name, I'll continue to call you that."

I glare at his back as he starts to walk away. "It's TenTen!" I call after him.

He stops walking for a bit. I think I can see a smile on his face. "TenTen, huh? Nice to meet you." With that, he walks off, and I turn and wait for the okay to go across the crosswalk, meanwhile trying not to stare after him.

Weird kid, that Neji…

--

_Next..._

"Damn comedies..."  
"What?"

--

Lolz. nickname-er of stray dogs…where in the world did I come up with that? Oh well, I like it. x3  
okay, so I have a rant: AMERICAN IDOL. guess who I'm voting for? oh yes, David Cook. Screw you David Archileto (or however you spell it)! I'm sick of the Disney Channel singers! -end of rant- ;P  
REVIEW!  
I want: erm…50? Let's try! :D  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	4. Damn Comedies

Hey guys!

Thanks to:  
midnite requiem, .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., SMOKe13, ShinobiXAngel, Shikyo no Amatsu Shinsei, Merciless Ruby, tentenXshikamaru, Hikoru, Aniki, HisEyesMyName-AmBeR159, WahineDancer, Sunny Soul, PandaTen, Uchiha Sayaka, Daisy Valentine, Nerd4eva, TaintedImpurity, Asura of Love, XxXPippinXxX, RandomReader007, Shenhui, missy4eva, Tilders, KuriousK8D, kimiko77, Cheez plz, shining kitsune, EmiKoizumi.x, sallyluv16, 0o0InoChan0o0

You're all so great, thanks a lot! Here you go, another early update cause I just remembered; I already finished this chapter, all I had to do was edit it! :P So yeah, here it is!

Enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

I've given up on gloom and glum. They're exhausting feelings, trust me. Your mind is the thing that fuels you through the school day, and when it's concentrated on stubbornly staying in your own, dark little bubble, you're not gonna be too focused on much else. Maybe that's why I'm failing geometry. Maybe that's why I've decided to stop feeling like that and just give in. Of _course_ it's going to rain today…

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_4. Damn Comedies_

_Well I beleive it all is coming to an end  
oh well, I guess we're gonna pretend  
let's see how far we've come_

I keep going on about the most random things in my mind as I cross the crosswalk. Annoying, but not something I can really help. And it all started with that thing about comedies…

"Damn comedies…"

"What?"

Oh, Neji again. Well, I'm getting used to this. This would be the fourth day, after all, since he's been catching up to me somehow on the sidewalk. "Comedies." I explain in a dark mutter as he catches up to me slowly. "They annoy me. I was watching one of those comedy shows last night where they have that 'laugh track'. One of those things where they have the background sound effects of people laughing at a funny line, to make you laugh along and make it feel like it's being filmed live."

"Why is that so annoying?"

"It's like they're trying to get you to follow the crowd and do what everyone does. It's basically teaching you in some weird way to laugh when someone else laughs. I hate that."

"You'd rather do everything your own way and do what you want when you want, right?"

"Correct." I say, smirking a little. Then I stop. "Hey, why are you walking, by the way? You're Hinata's cousin, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you should be taking a ride with her and her dad. Why aren't you?" He says nothing. But I'm really curious, and when I'm curious, I _go_ for it. "She said that you had a fight with Hiashi right before you started avoiding them. What happened?"

"You really want to know?" he asks suddenly. He doesn't sound as playful or sarcastic anymore. It must be serious…

"Yeah."

"I was arguing with him about my father."

"Your…father…? But…isn't he…?"

"Dead, yes." he said bluntly. I almost winced at the harshness. "He died when I was a child. And he died for Hiashi."

"Huh? Hinata never told me about that."

"That's because it's a secret. One of the largest secrets of the Hyuuga household."

"Then why are you telling me?"

He sighs. "I honestly don't know. Maybe it's because I don't want anything to do with the Hyuuga's right now, and I don't mind betraying them. Or else it's because there's that something about you."

I try to ignore that. "Either way it's not wise for me to speak of this, is it?"

"No."

"Then I won't. So why did your dad die for Hiashi?"

Neji sighs yet again, preparing for his story. "Well...Hiashi's liver was giving out. And it's an old tradition that my branch of the Hyuuga family should die for the leader, who is Hiashi. Or I would have to die for the heiress, his daughter; Hinata-sama." So that's why he calls her 'sama'… "I guess that explains how my father died. He killed himself so they could use his liver to save Hiashi, who lives on as if my father did nothing for him, as if my branch of the family is just something to use for himself. The argument started when he ordered me to keep a better eye on Hinata-sama. That gets me angry for two reasons. One, he's treating me like I am my father's replacement ever since he died for Hiashi. Two, he is treating Hinata-sama like she is the most important thing in the world, and she has to be watched and guarded every second, when she doesn't like that. Hiashi is misusing his own family for his own purposes. When I mentioned this to him, he called my father a hero, but the he dropped the subject quickly, as if it was useless, like he didn't care about my father at all…"

"Did you love your father a lot…?" I ask quietly.

"…Yes…" he admits, not looking at me.

I decide to change the subject after a bit of silence. "So that's what happened to your dad, huh?"

"Yeah."

"So why are you walking? Are you like Hinata, you need to think?"

"Yes, and I want to avoid Hiashi."

"Your voice sounds strained. Is it hard to talk about?"

"Still, yes. It's even hard to remember all the greater times when he was alive. It's just the burden of memories, I guess…"

I nod and face forward as we walk. "You know, I think the reason memories hurt so much and nostalgia is such a, well, _crushing_ feeling, is because…well, they're over. They're just _gone_. It's because you know that it's in vain, you're being selfish, wanting to go back to them, do them over again. It's because you're being stupid, wanting something that will never happen, crying over someone from the past."

He nods too. "Or else it's because…they were here first, I guess. They were here before the pain you're feeling now."

"Right. Like, the _good_ times, you know? Maybe it's cause you know that they're still alive. Even though they're done and over with, you know that if you forget all about them, you'll be nothing." I turn to look at him. "Am I right?"

"You're right."

"So is it really useless, really?"

"Not at all. We're not alone, after all. We're not the only ones with a story."

"Yeah! And if everyone would realize that and stop being selfish we wouldn't have homeless people and homophobes and racists and…and, well, poor people!"

"That reminds me, where's my five bucks?" ((A/N: reference to last chapter. ;P))

-

I don't know why I suddenly have this sort of adrenaline rush in me.

Maybe it's because I was excited when me and Neji started rambling about how commonly we felt about, of all random subjects, '_memories'_. And then we got into another argument about the five bucks that ended with both of us laughing. Like best friends or something. Except, best friends don't argue that much, do they?

So…what _are_ we, exactly?

Do we have to be specifically classified as something? And would we have to qualify for different subjects of that stereotypical classification? Where do I place us…?

"Good morning, TenTen!" Kiba and Lee chant.

"Did you think about what I said about the mascara?!" Sakura demands.

"Stop being stupid, forehead." Ino snaps.

"You stop being stupid, pig!" The two are soon caught up in an argument.

"Morning, TenTe-oww!" Naruto shouts suddenly, tripping over Sasuke.

"Idiot, that hurt!"

Now _those_ two are locked in their own battle.

Desperate for sanity, I walk over to Hinata, skirting the two squabbles, and sink down next to her. "Um…morning."

"Morning, TenTen." Hinata says, giggling a little at our group of friends' immaturity.

"Besides you, I think all of my friends must be possessed." I say, watching them with her.

"Ino, touch my lipstick one more time and…_oh, you asked for it_!"

"Owwie! Sakura, that _hurt_!"

"Naruto, stupid clumsy idiot, I told you to stop falling over me like that!"

"It wasn't _my_ fault, Sasuke!"

"Sakura! Please stop fighting with Ino, it is not youthful!"

"All of you shut up!" I yell.

"Stop yelling, TenTen! You're louder than a Danish Chihuahua!"

I stare at my friends, wide eyed. "Correction; I _know_."

Hinata sighs. "You'll get used to it…"

-

I wonder what a Danish Chihuahua even _is_…

I'm sitting at the bench in the hall again as Hinata takes a walk through the courtyard alone in the sprinkle of rain, my mind being tortured with that random, strange question. Does a Danish Chihuahua even _exist_, really? Maybe it's a Danish molded into the shape of a Chihuahua? Or a Chihuahua named 'Danish', vice versa?…Or maybe it's something…_else_…

Damn you, Kiba. You've poisoned my mind.

I sigh and cross one leg over the other and put my elbows on my knee, chin in my hands. I didn't tell Hinata, or anyone else, for that matter, why exactly Neji is walking to school, which is basically to rid his mind of his deceased father and the cruelty and ignorance of his uncle.

And I have no idea why.

Maybe it's because it sort of _is_ a big secret, and I just feel bad blurting it out. Maybe it's because I think he'll get everything sorted out in the end. Or maybe it's because he actually_ trusts_ me, and I like that. I don't want to ruin that.

Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

I mean, I barely know the guy. Why should I do him a favor? Maybe I _should_ blurt it out.

Ah, what am I saying? That would be horrible! My reputation would be ruined. In high school life, you don't go around blurting secrets like that. You just don't. You're either a gossiper or a secret keeper, and I'd rather be the latter, thank you very much. I've never enjoyed gossip anyways, it's for the girls like Sakura and Ino. Rumors fly around Konoha like wild fires. The tale would be twisted around by the end of it anyways into something totally different.

Like last year, when that girl was raped by that boy in the second story of the school. People started going on about who it was and whether or not the boy was going to jail. Some people said yes, some said no, to each. And some people even said it was a lie and didn't happen. There was even someone that said the boy stole her money and car keys after he raped her and stole away in her car all the way to China.

I somewhat doubted that one, understandably enough.

But the whole point is that if I told Neji's secret, everyone would say something else, and it wouldn't turn out pretty now that me and Hinata were included. I didn't want any trouble.

Especially since I've been getting _closer_ with Neji recently…

Oh, what the hell am I talking about?! This all started with thinking about Danish Chihuahua's!

"Stupid things..." I mutter under my breath. I look up, and suddenly I see Neji coming towards me down the hallway. He spots me too and heads over. As soon as he comes to a halt, he raises an eyebrow at my down face.

"What, did you fail a test or something?"

"Haha, very hilarious." I say sarcastically. "I'm just upset about Danish Chihuahua's…"

He stares at me incredulously for a second, as if I'm joking. When he's sees I'm serious, he snorts. "What?" he asks with a laugh in his voice, shifting his brown bag on one arm.

I sigh. "Okay, this morning one of my friends, Kiba, said I was louder than a Danish Chihuahua, and I've been wondering if it's an actual existing species of dog the entire day."

"You must have friends even stranger than you."

"Yes, they are, trust me. It's a chore trying to keep myself sane and keep them under control at the same time every morning."

"Morning?"

"Sure. We don't see each other any other part of the day. We meet in the mornings."

"Aa. I assume Hinata-sama is part of this little group?"

"Well yeah. She's one of the only sane one's left."

"Hm. She doesn't talk about the others at home."

"That's cause she's not as close to them as she is to me."

"Why are you such good friends with Hinata-sama?"

I laugh. "Does there have to be a reason?"

"Not necessarily, but there could be."

I sigh. "Well…yes, I guess there is a reason. We're close because we saved each other."

"Saved each other?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. He's standing right in front of me now, and I'm looking up at him. It's not that awkward, actually.

"Yeah. She was always being ignored cause she's so shy. I was always alone, without my parents. And we both found each other and decided to be friends. From there we met the others, and it sort of explains itself from then on. No one else was willing to be so open to us or even talk to us except each other. We're not exactly the most popular group in the school, but we love each other."

"…Aa…" He's looking at me closely. I narrow my eyes.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to drag Hinata back inside before she dies of hyperthermia _and_ is late to class." I say, standing and gathering my bag.

"Is it possible to be both at the same time?"

"…Good point."

Yeah. Good points. I suppose we've both made many today…

--

_Next..._

"I still don't beleive you."  
"_I_ don't beleive _you_. Or how close minded you are."  
"You shouldn't be talking, Neji, but fine, then! Teach me!"

--

lolz, yes, you have.  
cute, ne?  
can't wait to write the other four chapters.  
yes, only four more to go.  
REVIEW!I want: erm…since I've got 77 in three chapter (which is awesome)  
…I'd say 90? we'll see! :D  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	5. Teacher

Hey guys!  
Okay, before you all kill me for not updating in, like, forever, let me explain! See my Okaasan and Outousan were painting my family room, so the laptop had to be moved. And that's the only place I can get internet connection, so…Well, I'm sure the rest explains itself. -sweatdrop- ;P Thank you all so much for being patient.

And thanks to these reviewers! I got _so many_! You rock my socks off! x)  
Merciless Ruby, kimiko77, Matte Gloss, Shikyo no Amatsu Shinsei, ShinobiXAngel, XxXPippinXxX, Hikoru, Aniki, Daisy Valentine, frenchkittycat08, SMOKe13, Asura of Love, Tilders, EmiKoizumi.x, missy4eva, Shenhui, 0o0InoChan0o0, Uchiha, Nami, .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., Nerd4eva, Uchiha Sayaka, WahineDancer, HisEyesMyNameAmBeR159, midnite requiem, KuriousK8D, mae

You're all absolutely amazing, thank you so much and keep it up! :D I give to you now…a NejiTen psychology lesson!

Enjoy!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

Wariness. When I was little, I would always get that word mixed up with the word _weariness_. So I thought they meant the same thing, and that always confused me when I read a book and it said either word in what I thought was the wrong sentence. Now, I will never forget what wariness means, because at the moment I am _very wary_, looking around for worms. However…it's in vain.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_5. Teacher_

_I think it's turning to a crock but I don't really know  
I can't remember caring for an hour or so  
Starting crying and I couldn't stop myself  
I started running but there was no where to run to_

Muttering profanities and not bothering to cover my voice up, I trudge down the sidewalk. Today, it's not raining, fortunately, but it _is_ extremely humid and the cement is still a little damp, the puddles from yesterday's (and the days' before) rain still hanging around as if they're bored teenagers at a popular club. Perfect weather for those little slimy pests, we all know what I'm talking about, one of which I just happened to step on.

"If you keep talking like that you aren't going to be allowed ten feet around a preschooler."

"Oh shut up, Neji." I mutter. I've gotten used to him. Now on this lovely Friday, it's been exactly five days since he's started walking to school. I don't mind _that_ much, it's not _my _sidewalk.

"What are you so frustrated over?" he asks, catching up.

"Worms." I explain bitterly.

"…Worms?" he repeats, looking at me like I'm an idiot.

"_Yes_. I keep _stepping_ on them! They're stupid and ugly and nasty and useless, they do _nothing_ for us! They're just pests."

"That's not true." he says defensively. "They help us in a lot of ways."

"Like _what_?"

"...Well, they turn the soil."

"That doesn't help us at all, we do that ourselves by walking on it."

"You can't depend on just humans to rule the world."

"Yes I can."

"That's idiotic! By doing that you're just ruining the world. Ever heard of global warming?"

"I don't believe in that junk."

"TenTen, it's been scientifically proved."

"…So what?! I don't care. It's not happening to me right now, why should it matter?"

"You're idiotic."

"Well I still don't believe you."

"_I_ don't believe _you_! Or how close minded you are."

"You shouldn't be talking, Neji, but fine! Teach me!"

"…Teach you…?"

"Teach me." I repeat, nodding. "Teach me your little _ways of the worm_."

"Um, what? Ways of the worm?"

"Just teach me how those worms aren't nasty and how they shouldn't just go extinct and leave me alone!"

He sighs. "Are you certain you want an entire explanation?"

"Yes!" I say stubbornly.

"Well, then…let's start where we are." He looks at me. "People think that we're not useless. We're not supposed to die out or become extinct because _we rule the world_ basically. It was made for us."

"True…" Thinking about that, I'm always seeing those commercials trying to help starving Africans. But what if there was this commercial, and there was a picture of a lone, thin, skinny, starving deer in a dead field, and someone in a deep, soothing voice says, 'You can save this deer. _The Christian Deer Fund_.' "You never hear of people trying to help animals or plants cause we're supposed to be, like, the leading species." Taking second thoughts, I look over at him. "Hold on, are you trying to say that you're wondering why we're so concerned about _humans_ dying out…?!"

He sighs. "It's a dark idea. But it's because we all realize that we're not useless at all. However, we seem to forget about everything else alive in the world."

I stare at him. "You're either saying that we should consider every single bug we crush murder, or we just shouldn't care about the humans dying out cause it's just natural…"

He shakes his head. "Neither."

"Are you trying to say that everything has as much of a right to live as us?"

"You're getting there."

"That nothing's useless…?"

"Nice job, Sherlock."

I roll my eyes at his sarcasm. "That was simple."

"Not really. I doubt anyone else would have caught on so fast."

"Really? Then I must be smarter than I thought, for someone so stupid…and for someone failing geometry."

He snorts. "You're failing geometry?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't rub it in my face." I mutter. "Told you I was stupid."

"That doesn't mean you're stupid. If you think that the school is the whole world, you'll have to grow up. Besides, you just _proved _you're not stupid."

"Hm? How?"

"Like I said before, I doubt anyone else would have caught on so fast. Like you said, you're smarter than I thought."

I stare at him as we walk. He's not looking at me as he says this, as if he's scared to, or he's thinking about me too hard. And surprisingly, I'm not weirded out by this. I'm actually sort of flattered. And, of course, curious as to why he's so interested in me. Is he turned _on_ or _off_? I dunno. But I'm _not_ gonna ask him. That wouldn't solve anything…

"You know, you're going to run into a tree if you don't look where you're going." he says.

I blush. Darn! He noticed me staring at him! "I have eyes, you idiot."

He laughs. "Well, let's go on. It's not just the fact that we've taken over the world, it's that in doing so, we underestimate other species, even the most simple of them."

"Like what, are you gonna go on about _weeds_?"

He smirks. "Well, that's actually a great example." Oh no… "We think that weeds are totally useless and annoying, right? They do nothing to help us, they're ugly and a nuisance."

"Right."

"And yet, if you pay attention in Biology class, you'd learn that they're the only plant that can grow in cement. They can use the smallest source of nutrients possible to grow as widely as possible. They're also extremely hard to kill, while most plants and trees can be wiped out easily and take a long time to grow."

"So basically weeds are stronger than plants?"

"Surprisingly, yes." he says. "However we, believing that the world was made for us, fail to see that."

"But just because they're strong doesn't mean they're not useless! What use can they possibly be to us?"

"Again, if you'd pay attention in Biology class, you'd learn that weeds and small grasses, most of the things we find useless, are actually the start of new ecosystems. They gradually turn into small shrubs and trees, then things like oaks and such, and soon enough you have the climax, a forest. Which we soon wipe out with forest fires and log factories and buildings and parking lots. So weeds are like the beginnings of life forms. I think it's called succession or something like that…"

"Oh yeah, we learned about succession in Biology, I remember that now. I never really thought about it like that, I guess…"

"Of course you didn't, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you."

"Oh shut up, you don't need to state the obvious."

"I wasn't, I was suggesting that you did first."

"Shut up!"

"I'd rather not." Now we're at the school, and I'm walking over to the staircase. Wow, we walked all the way into the school together, and I don't think either of us noticed! "I can finish up tomorrow." Neji says matter-of-factly.

"Alright, see-"

"Morning TenTen!"

"I said it first, I said it first! Right TenTen, I said it before Sasuke?!"

"No you did not, idiot!"

I roll my eyes as Naruto and Sasuke jump out at me and start arguing. Great, now they're greeting me as soon as they walk into the school. "You both said it at the same time…_idiots_."

"TenTen, get up the stairs, I can hear you all the way up here! You're as loud as an Armenian Pit-bull!"

"Ah, not another dog I don't know!" I complain.

Neji laughs. "Later TenTen." He walks off, and I find myself staring after him. It's not that I'm confused about him, it's just that suddenly I realize what he had been teaching me…

It's hard to believe it all of a sudden. Hard to think about. Confusing in it's own way. But I think I'm sort of getting it.

For some reason, I find myself really excited about tomorrow morning. I'm ready to learn more. And I'm ready to see Neji.

"TenTen, move your lazy butt!"

"Oh shut up Kiba!"

-

"Hey brownie buns, you're pretty cute!"

"Why don't you come over to my place?"

"Hey baby!"

"Fucking…jackasses…" I mutter under my breath, trying to ignore the boys roaring out of their windows at me, wicked, sick grins on their faces as I walk to school. "I wish they'd shut the fuck up…"

"Watch your language."

"And _you_ stop being so stingy!" I snap at Neji. Yes, after school too. Well, it's normal. He doesn't want to ride with his uncle and cousin. Understandably enough, actually.

"Hey hunny, take your hair down!"

"Oh would they shut up?" I growl to myself, flicking off the offending car but not looking at it. I don't want to give them any ideas.

"Don't waste your breath." Neji says. "The only way to deal with ignorant losers like that is to ignore them."

"Ignorant losers? What are you implying?"

"Don't be so suspicious, it's obvious."

"Pfft. It's not like I'm too good for them or something…or _is_ that what you're saying…?"

"That's exactly what I was saying."

I feel my face start to heat up, and I twist my hands in front of me. "Um…thanks…" He says nothing, and I frown. "It wasn't that obvious, you know."

"Your sarcasm amuses me."

"Ditto." My way of talking probably covers it up, but I'm blushing right now, and I have to hide my face from him. It's probably from that compliment he gave me. I'm too good for them…What _else_ is he trying to say? That I'm too good for _him_?

No! How could he say that?!

"Umm..."

He looks sideways at me. "Yes?"

I glance around to find an idea, and I realize we're at the crosswalk at last. I stop walking. "Um…I'm not too good for you!" I blurt out, and I turn on my heel and walk away, head bent, blushing a little. But suddenly his hand catches my arm, and I turn in surprise to face him. He's frowning a little.

"I know that." He lets me go. "Later."

I stand there, staring after him as he walks away. Looks like he has the last word again…

--

_Next…_

"So are you going to continue to teach me?"  
"You know…sometimes I wonder…"  
"Huh?"

--

Yup. A NejiTen psychology lesson!  
Like it, love it, hate it, dislike it, review it! :D  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	6. Dandelions

Hello there!

Thanks so much to:  
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You guys rock! Thanks a bunch! x)

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

From the minute I woke up this morning and saw how late it was, and, of course, remembered that it was Monday, I knew today was going to suck. And if that wasn't bad enough, when I looked out the window, I saw how hard it was raining; it was like a bucket of ice water was being dumped repeatedly over my roof, bouncing off the tiles and running down the walls in _rivers_. It's these kind of days that I wish I had a car…

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_6. Dandelions_

_I sat down on the street and took a look at myself  
Said where you going you know the world is heading for hell  
Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to_

"Nice hair."

I glare at Neji. I'm walking down the wet sidewalk on my way to school through the soaking wet grass and dandelions that seem to sprout everywhere amongst the mold and mud, loving the excess moisture and humidity that the rain gives them. My hair is down in two long braids that end at mid-rib. I probably look really different with my hair like that, because he's looking at me strangely.

He himself looks amazing. Even in the steady downpour, Neji still somehow manages to look like some sort of Greek God. Almost like a model in an advertisement for raincoats, even though he's only wearing the same grey jacket. It's such a simple jacket, different than the crimson one without a hood that I wear every day. But on him, it's like a piece of silk. I'm almost transfixed by Neji. Of course, that's probably because I haven't seen him all weekend. "Shut up. I was late this morning and I didn't have time to put my hair up properly."

"I'm not saying it looks bad."

"Whatever, _I_ think it does."

"Why do you put your hair up all the time anyways?"

I smile in spite of myself. "Well…before my grandma died, she would always put my hair up in buns for me, so it reminds me of her. It keeps it from my eyes too. It's sort of become a habit, especially since everyone keeps making me put it up like that because they think it's really pretty. Sakura and Ino even think its pretty, and they're fashion freaks."

"Well they're right."

I feel myself blush. "Th-thanks?" He says nothing, and I decide to change the subject. "So are you going to continue to teach me?"

"You know…sometimes I wonder…"

"Huh?"

He leans down suddenly and plucks a dandelion out of the mud with a squelch. "What would happen if someone plucked out every single one of the dandelions from the earth?" he asks.

I can't tell if he's asking me or not, but I think it over anyways. Would people care if that happened? Would they be relieved because all of those nuisance weeds were gone at last and they could grow their gardens without care? Or would they be disappointed that the most beautiful weed to reproduce by billions was wiped off the face of the earth? "I don't know how people would react. Would there be a celebration or a new 'Save The Weeds' fund?" I ask thoughtfully.

"Open your eyes, TenTen." I glance at Neji in surprise as he gazes at the dandelion between his fingers. "It's not just people. It's _everything_."

"Everything…?" I ask uncertainly.

"Yes. Again, if you'd just pay attention in Biology, or to _anything at all_, you'd know that everything in every community, all of economy, any ecosystem, the _world_, has a job, a niche. No matter how small, no matter how big. The world wasn't made for man, TenTen, man was made for the world." He twirls the dandelion between his thumb and forefinger. "Do you believe that?"

"I'm getting it…"

"Now how would _you_ feel if all the dandelions were taken from the earth?"

I think about it. "Disappointed." I finally decide honestly. "I have a lot of good memories with them. And with what you said about weeds yesterday, well, I guess it would be pretty shitty if they were all gone suddenly."

"Mhm. Now pretend all those dandelions…" He throws it over his shoulder, where it lands in the mud with a damp little plop. I glance at it once. "Pretend all those dandelions are all the worms that you insist are useless."

I almost stop walking. My eyes grow huge as I stare at him wordlessly. I don't know what to say…! He looks over at me and seems satisfied, seeing my astonishment.

"Wake up, TenTen." he says. "You're not like the other blind girls out there. No matter how stubborn you are, you have a chance to see things through. Worms, of all things, can open your eyes." I still say nothing. I'm overwhelmed, almost. It's like my entire world has suddenly shifted beneath me. His eyes seem to stare straight into mine. "Nothing's meaningless, TenTen. You need to learn that."

-

I sigh to myself as I sit in Gai-sensei's class and he booms something to us about homework and somehow manages to add something about youth in there while he's at it. "Youthful students!" See what I mean? There he goes… "We have a youthful assignment! You're going to create a youthful poem for me to read! It's due on Wednesday! Remember to think about that! And tomorrow's assignment is to read chapter fifty…here are the youthful requirements!"

As he goes on about this too, I try to count how many times he says something about youth in each sentence. It's actually quite time consuming, waiting for this last class of the day to end so I can get out of this crazy school and just go home. Until, of course, my teacher interrupts me, adding three more hits to my countdown while he's at it.

"Youthful TenTen, we have a pass for you! Down to the office you go! You do not need to bring your youthful things, it's only a call from your youthful father! Yosh!"

I sigh and stand slowly. "Okay, thanks…" I mumble. I'm so tired I could just drop to the floor and sleep like a newborn baby for days on end…But here I go, I have to talk to my dad on the phone for some stupid reason…

I make my way down to the office and get the phone at the office in what seems like seconds. "Hello?" I mutter. "Yeah? Dad? What's…?..."

-

My hands curl into fists as I trudge through the heavy grey downpour of water that beats on my head like drumsticks from the drummer of a long-since-forgotten band. It's almost painful, this powerful rain, and it's so hard-falling that I'm basically walking through a flash flood, or at least a gigantic puddle. I grit my teeth as I feel my eyes start to water as well, and not from the rain. That call from dad had completely ruined my day in the worst way possible…

And here they come, the tears. I exhale, a long shuddering breath, and let a sob escape my lips. I stop walking and wrap my arms around myself to rid myself of the heart wrenching feeling of loneliness, allowing the sadness to cover me up and weaken me so now I can't even walk…

"TenTen, are you crying?!"

Startled, I whip around to face Neji, who's gazing at me and looking terribly concerned. I just stare at him stupidly in surprise before recovering quickly and crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Me? No way." I lie. "Leave me alone." I try to start walking again, but I freeze when his hand suddenly brushes my cheek. At first I have no idea what he's doing, but my entire body is tingling all over just from that one touch, and I can tell Neji feels it too when he stops moving as well, but then he brushes a tear off my cheek.

"Then what's this…?" he murmurs quietly.

"R-Rain."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I can see through almost every lie you throw my way?" he asks, exasperated. "What are you crying about?"

"Just…it's nothing, okay?"

"TenTen…" He steps in front of me and his hands stop me from walking, gripping my arms gently. "I'm not letting you go till you tell me what's wrong."

That's enough to make me snap.

"It's my dad, okay?!" I yell at him. I start to cry again and duck my head. I can't help it. Even though I feel so weak and stupid, I can't hold it in any longer. I have to tell someone. "He called me in the middle of my last class when he found out I'm failing geometry and started yelling at me. He said he and mom had had enough and now they're just going to tell me the truth, they don't care about me at all, they think I'm just a burden. That's why they stuck me out here to live by myself! The only reason I was even _born_ was because they _did it_ by _accident_ when they were _drunk_! I shouldn't even be _alive_! I was a mistake from the beginning!" I let another sob escape my lips, but I can't move because I'm still trapped in Neji's arms. I cover my face with my hands. "I hate it. I hate feeling worthless."

Neji's silent for a while. The rain's the only thing that I can hear, slamming on our shoulders. I can only see my fingers covering my face. I can only feel his hands on my arms. Then he sighs, and I feel his hands travel to my own and pull them away from my face. "And what did I teach you otherwise…?" he asks quietly.

"…Nothing's…useless…"

"Right. You're not, TenTen. At least, not to your friends. Not to Hinata-sama…and me." He looks up as I think about that silently and clears his throat. "This is your crosswalk, you should be leaving now." I glance over too and see he's right. And I also see that he's still holding my hands in his. He seems to notice too, for he drops them quickly.

I stare at him for a while. He's not looking at me, but over his shoulder, as if something's caught his eye. He really is attractive, the way his long nose curves down, his pale, creamy, flawless skin, perfect pair of lavender-white eyes that I can just get lost in, long coffee brown hair, those perfect lips parted a bit in concentration…

"Neji…thanks." I mumble, fidgeting with my hands in front of me, clasping them together nervously.

He looks at me and his eyes soften. Then he leans down and pulls a dandelion out of the ground. "Remember our lesson from this morning." he says, holding it out to me like a rose jokingly.

I laugh a little and take it, blushing slightly. "Alright, I will. Bye."

Suddenly he puts his hands on either side of my head and then, without warning, kisses the top of my head. "Bye." He's gone in a flash, disappearing into the heavy rain that hides him in a curtain of grey.

I stare after him, totally shocked, holding the little dandelion in my hands. I gotta hand it to Neji…he can really brighten my day in the best way possible…

--

_Next…_

"Endless Rain!"  
"Pardon?"  
"Stop talking, I have a poem!"

--

Two more chapters to go! -does a dance- x)  
REVIEW!  
Shoot for the stars: er, 137? That's reasonable enough, ne? :)  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	7. Poetry

Hello everyone! Hee…I finished this early. x3

Thanks so much to:  
Matte Gloss, SMOKe13, KuriousK8D, tentenXshikamaru, kimiko77, Tilders, Merciless Ruby, Uchiha Sayaka, HisEyesMyName-AmBeR159, frenchkittycat08, missy4eva, Yuki-U, PandaTen, Daisy Valentine, DarkAnimeAngel13, Hikoru, Aniki, Ally1313, .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., Asura of Love, Shiyo no Amatsu Shinsei, Nerd4eva, RandomReader007, EmiKoizumi.x, ShinobiXAngel, Pippythefairy, XxXPippinXxX, robyn-chan, WahineDancer, mae, Pnkrockninja101

Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty_! (:

--

I didn't go to school yesterday. That's only because I was sicker than a dog, even though I don't quite understand the familiarity between a dog and being sick. I was coughing and sneezing like crazy, and I felt so stuffed up and crappy that I thought I was going to _die_. So I stayed home, deciding I'd rather not die at school but rather in a sofa with a blanket covering me, sipping the slowly cooling soup on my coffee table...so that's what I did, and I didn't end up dying. Yes, my friends, that was sarcasm. Today, I'm feeling a lot better. But sometimes I wish I wasn't, then I wouldn't have to deal with school. Well, at least it's not raining _too_ hard today…

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_7. Poetry_

_Its gone gone baby its all gone  
There is no one __on the corner__ and there's no one at home  
It was __cool cool__, it was just all cool  
Now it's over for me and it's over for you_

"Where were you yesterday?" Neji demands suddenly from behind me, catching up. I'm on my way to school now, my hair in the usual two buns again. It's nice out, only sprinkling a tiny bit, a fine mist of humidity scattered about in the air and condensing in a low cloud of fog around our ankles.

I turn around to face him as he stares at me. "Sick…?" I say uncertainly, raising an eyebrow at his furious concern.

He freezes, then he relaxes and sighs. "…Oh…" He looks relieved, and then a little ashamed at his embarrassing behavior.

I smirk. Time to tease him. "Why?" I ask, playing dumb clasping my hands in front of me and swinging them side to side.

"Er…Hinata-sama was concerned about you." He calls _me_ a bad liar?

"Okay." I don't believe him, don't get me wrong. But I'm not about to bug him about it. I sigh as I trudge down the sidewalk, Neji by my side the whole time. I still have to do that poem for Gai's assignment. Damn Gai, he's as troublesome as this endless rain…

Wait…endless rain?

A spark of inspiration hits me. That's it! "Endless rain!"

"Pardon?"

"Stop talking, I have a poem!" I hold up a finger and take a deep breath.

"This endless rain,

It falls so confidently,

Like how I'll never be.

It falls for a reason.

Why? Is it me?

Am I still falling,

Like how this endless rain

Falls forever?"

Neji's silent. He looks as astounded as I was the day he started to 'teach' me. I beam. "I've got it!" I notice him staring at me, and I take a gulp and turn away, twisting my hands in front of me. "U-um, Neji?"

"Hm?"

"…How was it?" I ask. I don't know why I'm so shy about it suddenly, I don't know why I'm hiding my blush from him all of a sudden, when I'm just asking a certain question, I don't know why I'm so scared about his opinion, so self conscious…

But his eyes soften. "It was beautiful." he assures me gently, making me relax instantly. "Did you just make it up? If you did you're really amazing."

I blush even harder but get over myself and nod. "Yup!"

"You'll get a B, ten bucks."

"Ten bucks I get an A!"

"Deal. By the way, you still owe me those five bucks from last week."

"…Damn. I thought you forgot about that."

"Don't underestimate my memory." He says, flicking my forehead gently.

I frown and rub the offended spot of skin, but still blushing a bit. "I'll make a note of that."

"Good. So you like poetry?"

I shrug. "It depends on the poem, I guess. But I've always liked to listen to it spoken out loud, and I like to just make up random poems. One of those spur of the moment things, ya know? What about you?"

"I've always enjoyed poetry." he says simply.

"Do you have a favorite?"

"At the moment, yours is." I feel my face heat up, and when he realizes what he blurted out on accident he seems embarrassed as well, so he quickly edits himself. "But of course, there's always that Inaugural Poem by Maya Angelou."

"Inaugural?"

"That's a poem read at a president's Inaugural address."

"Oh. What's that poem?"

"I'm surprised you've never heard of it. 'The Rock Cries Out To Us Today'. Does that ring a bell?"

"Nah, I've got nothing. How is the poem, any good?"

He looks at me and tilts his head to the side.

"A Rock, A River, A Tree  
Hosts to species long since departed,  
Mark the mastodon."

I feel my eyes get big, and he goes on.

"The dinosaur, who left dry tokens  
Of their sojourn here  
On our planet floor,  
Any broad alarm of their of their hastening doom  
Is lost in the gloom of dust and ages."

"…Wow…" His voice was so soothing and gentle as he said this poem, and the words were so abstract and beautiful. "That was…pretty…"

"Isn't it nice? I've always loved it. There's more to it, but I doubt you'd want to hear it."

"No! I do!" I say immediately, earnestly. "Can you tell me more of it?!"

He stares at me for a bit, looking confused, then his lips twitch a little in a small smile. "I'll tell you more some day."

"Promise?!"

"Promise." I grin at him, and he laughs a bit. "You're very childish, you know that?"

"No I'm not. Just immature."

"I guess that's not _exactly_ the same thing…If you want to confuse people."

-

"You seem awfully cheerful."

I turn and smile at Neji. I'm on my way back home. It's bright and sunny, the rain totally gone, the grey clouds parting just a bit to show some bright blue sky. Even though boys are jeering at me out of the windows of their cars, I'm just ignoring them and walking along without a care in the world.

"You're correct, I am awfully cheerful!" I say to him as he catches up. "I've been having a good day. Sakura and Ino got in a cat fight and I bet with Kiba over who would win. I bet on Ino, and she won, so now I have ten bucks. Then Gai gave me five extra points for a homework assignment that he thought I didn't turn in but turns out he just lost it. Then at lunch Hinata let me listen to her iPod, so I got to hear some great music. _And_ Gai-sensei gave me an A on my poem, in your face. You owe me ten bucks!"

"Actually, I only owe you five."

"Huh?"

"You owe me five bucks from the beginning." he says. And, to my surprise, he hands me five bucks from the pocket of his jeans. Wow, he actually _did_. I feel guilty, feel like not even taking it, but before I can say anything he places it in my hand.

I shrug and laugh. "Whatever. Now I have fifteen bucks and you have five less. I'm good." I lie, trying to mask the guilt as I stuff it in my pocket, joining it's ten dollar brother.

He laughs a bit. "So, you got an A on your poem? He liked it that much?"

"Yeah, I was actually sort of surprised. He read it in front of the entire class, which was kind of embarrassing, but they all started applauding of all things. It was a little weird."

"Sounds like it. Your poem isn't that applause worthy."

"Hey, I'm a year younger than you and not in advanced placement classes. Cut me some slack."

"True…hey, careful there!" He grabs my hand when I start to trip on a large crack in the sidewalk to steady me. I breathe a sigh of relief, and we continue walking. But I stop in surprise when I realize he hasn't let go of my hand yet. And he still doesn't, pulling me along after him and giving me a small encouraging smile. I return it nervously and walk by him. Luckily he's not about to leave me in silence. "So you said you got to listen to Hinata's iPod? You enjoy music, huh?"

I try to sound casual. "Yeah, but it's embarrassing what I like to listen to."

"What's that?"

"Well…" I sigh. "I like piano and violin."

"Really? You don't seem the type."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh about it." I scowl at the sidewalk.

He scoffs. "I'm not going to laugh, I _play_ the piano."

_That _surprised me more than anything. It's like a light bulb's been lit inside of me. I look up and him and beam. "You _do_?!"

He raises an eyebrow and smiles a bit. "Yes, I do. You're that excited?"

"Well, you don't seem the type." I say, mocking him.

"Hm…I should play for you some day. Would you like that?"

Is he _kidding _me?! I give him my best smile I can manage and squeeze his hand in mine. "I'd _love_ it!"

His eyes soften. "Well, this is your crosswalk."

"Kay, bye."

Again, just like yesterday, he does the unexpected. He brings my hand up to his lips briefly before dropping it and walking away, calling, "Bye." over his shoulder, leaving me there astounded.

But this time, instead of standing there in shock, I walk across the road, smiling. Maybe I should have told him that I kept the dandelion on my window sill, drying in the sun, like the corpse of some beautiful flower, lying there peacefully as a constant reminder just for me…

--

_Next…_

"I told you."

--

**_Endless Rain © xmarachanx._**  
lolz. yes, I created that poem, thank you very much.  
tell me what you think about it as you…  
REVIEW!  
I want: 180? we'll see!

Alright, so I've got a lot of **complaints** about the fact that this story ish real short and all and it seems to be rushed. let me tell you the reason for that, since I've said this before: I want this to be one of those short and sweet stories that make you walk away with something to think about. I know you're all gonna go on about how I just trailed away and left you hanging…well sorry. I don't want there to be a ton of drama and all. I just want it to be cute and meaningful. If you don't' like it…good for you! Would you like a cookie? I have plenty of chocolate chip ones. :p

thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


	8. A Little Too Meticulous

Hey guys!  
Ok, before I say anything, I'd like to tell you all that yes, this is the last chapter of the story. But I also have some good news: I have a lot of ideas in mind for this story, so…well, I've decided to make a couple chapters full of short & sweet epilogues for those of you that don't want to be left hanging! :D  
And another thing: RANT TIME - I have three more half-days left of school, then it's SUMMER! xD

Going on, thanks a lot to:  
EmiKoizumi.x, tentenXshikamaru, Tilders, .xXx.hikari.midnight.xXx., ShinobiXAngel, kimiko77, SparkyCasper, HisEyesMyName-AmBeR159, Asura of Love, Pippythefairy, MindControlArts, Merciless Ruby, Matte Gloss, KuriousK8D, Daisy Valentine, PandaTen, Uchiha Sayaka, o.O, missy4eva, Hikoru, Aniki, Uchiha, Nami, Nerd4eva, Sunny Soul, Shikyo no Amatsu Shinsei, Demonic Angel, TheBeastlyKunoichi, INYO, mae, SMOKe13, RandomReader007, FallenAngel92  
Thanks again, guys! I don't know how to repay you! ;P lolz, that was lame. -.-;

Enjoy the LAST CHAPTER!

--

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything related! (:  
**Song: **_Let's See How Far We've Come_ by _Matchbox Twenty _(:

--

I know. As sure as I know my eyes and hair are as brown as a chocolate bar and gravity is frighteningly convincible, I know one thing as soon as I step outside my house into the sunny warmth that embraces me in a friendly fashion; _this is gonna suck_.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

_8. A Little Too Meticulous_

_Well its gone gone baby its all gone  
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home  
Well it was cool cool, it was just all cool  
Now it's over for me and it's over for you_

I don't know why I'm so attracted to him.

I ponder the small reasons as I walk along, the sun beating down on my shoulders kindly. He's just a boy, right? A total ass at that. Really sarcastic. Always has this sort of playfulness around him that makes me laugh. Has a lot in common with me. Probably the most attractive person I've seen in my life. Sweet and caring…

Ah fuck, when did my thoughts turn _good_?! Were they even bad from the _beginning_?! I mean, those are the sort of qualities I _like_ in a guy…

Ah geeze. How am I supposed to tell Neji how I feel?! Maybe I'll just tell him casually as we're walking?

'_Hey Neji, I think I, like, really love you! Okay_?'

Yeah…

I groan out loud at my stupidity. "I can't believe I'm planning this out ahead of time…"

"Planning what out?"

I look at Neji himself, walking up to me. "Nothing…" I mutter.

"Huh. I've said this before and I'll say it again; you need to stop talking to yourself."

"I've said this before and I'll say it again; shut up."

"Touché." He says with a laugh.

As we walk along, I see a worm, and I stop for a second. Neji, next to me, stops as well, watching me as I look down at it. But I grit my teeth and shake my head, feeling like an idiot, and skirt around it. Neji heaves a sigh before following me, but says nothing in protest.

-

"TenTen, TenTen, I have to ask you something…before Sasuke too!"

"No way, idiot, I'm asking her first!"

I stand, feeling myself get more and more ticked off, as Naruto and Sasuke fight over who gets to say whatever the hell they want to say first at the wall by the stairs. I've just said bye to Neji, and without him I suddenly find myself in a bad mood. By now, I'm so pissed I could punch them both at the same time, but then again they might start an argument about who's more injured than who…so I turn to the only alternative than Ino and Sakura, who are sharing eyeliner, and Lee, who's watching Naruto and Sasuke and looking a little _too _interested, and Hinata, who's doing her homework diligently and looking like she's about to bite someone's head off if they interrupt her. In other words, I turn to Kiba and yell, "What is this about?!" over Sasuke and Naruto's persistent squabbling.

Kiba sighs and drags me over to stand by him. "They saw you with Neji yesterday morning when they tried to say hi to you right as you stepped in the door, and they said you looked pretty friendly. Is something _going on_?"

"What do you mean, _going on_?" I demand, frowning. But I have a perfect idea of what he means, and it's sort of making me nervous.

"You know what I mean." Oh boy do I know… "What's going on with you and Neji, TenTen? You gonna tell us?"

"Um…Look at that, it's time to go to class." I say, grinning nervously and pointing to the clock.

"No it's not. We have one minu-" The bell suddenly rings and interrupts Kiba, and he sighs as I run off to Hinata, trying to make it seem like I'm in a hurry to get to class instead of trying to avoid the subject.

I myself have no idea what's going on between me and Neji, so this is okay.

Right…?

-

I fidget with my hands in my lap as I sit at the lunch table in the cafeteria with Hinata, sharing lunch with her out of her bento box. But not exactly _too_ hungry. I decide to just stop eating and think. The only things on my mind are Neji, that homework assignment from Gai-sensei, Neji, the weather, Neji, what's for dinner today, and Neji. Now what should I think about, then? Why, what about Neji?

Oh yes, that was sarcasm at it's greatest. But it's not such a bad idea to think about Neji. I mean, I have a lot of questions on my mind concerning him. Why didn't I just tell Neji how I felt this morning?! Why was I such a coward around that stupid worm?! Why am I asking myself questions that I'll never answer correctly?! Why, why, why?!

"TenTen, why are you cracking your knuckles…?"

"Never mind…" I growl, stopping the annoying cracking habit and clasping my hands under the table again. I'm silent for a bit as Hinata continues her lunch, then I remember something. "Hey Hinata, how are things with your cousin lately?" I ask curiously. I want to know how Neji is at home.

To my surprise, Hinata smiles. "It's going really well!" she says happily. "He's been so cheerful lately! He still disappears occasionally, and he doesn't take rides to school or back anymore, but he's been nice to everyone recently! It's like someone or something is changing him, softening him. Hiashi says it's a girl." Hinata giggles.

"Wh-What makes you think that?" I ask nervously.

"Well, Hiashi said that when he was walking past Neji's room, he overheard, though he didn't mean to eavesdrop, Neji praying to his father, like he does sometimes." That's nice…he prays to his father sometimes…I've always liked it when people respect the dead like that, even though I don't believe in spirits. It just shows courtesy…

"What did he overhear?" I ask, interested.

"Well, he said Neji started saying, 'I don't know why, but I just kissed her and walked away!', and then he said, 'I can't believe I'm this far in love.' It's cute, really, and just so sweet. My cousin has always been such a kind-hearted person."

I laugh nervously. Meanwhile, my mind is spinning. Was he talking about _me_ to his father?! Does he…_love_…**me**…?!

-

It's almost a rarity that I see Neji _after_ school, but I find myself wishing he was here anyways as I walk along, wanting my day to end as well as yesterday, or at least the day before. Those two days that he kissed me, once on the top of the head, once on the hand…what would it be like now?

I blush a little as I kick aside the dandelions in my path gently, ignoring the drivers jeering out their windows at me.

I think of everything we've been through, me and Neji. Sharing poetry, plucking dandelions, teaching each other, laughing, sharing stories, comforting each other, smiling, arguing, joking, talking about comedy shows…

I think about everything we've planned. He's supposed to tell me more poetry soon. And he's going to invite me to his house some day so I can listen to him play piano.

And he's a senior. Sooner or later he's going to graduate…

And here I am, walking along by myself, and I'm too much of an idiot to see what he's been teaching me all along…

And there it is. A worm, squirming around on the damp cement in front of me. I come to a halt and stare down at the pathetic creature. And then, I take a deep breath and crouch down in front of it. It must look like I'm searching for my car keys or something. How embarrassing…

Well, here goes nothing.

I stick out a finger and just randomly poke the thing. And, to my surprise, it responds by curling its slimy body around my finger.

Normally, I would be grimacing or sticking my tongue out or gagging, or at least resisting the urge to. It's supposed to be nasty. A nuisance. Disgusting, slimy, gross, the lowest form of life. _Useless_.

But…

Maybe out of instinct, maybe out of self reassurance, maybe out of doubt or sureness, or the opposite of either…

I don't know why, but…

I smile, and I lift my finger closer to my face.

It's kind of _cute_ actually.

The way it hugs my finger affectionately like a child. I can almost hear its heartbeat. I can almost hear it crying like a baby puppy. I can almost see its eyes looking at me. I can almost see it smiling…

Like it has a personality, a meaning, a job. Just like all the other living things in life. They die, sure, and they're easy to kill. Some people even hate them. But they're _there._ They're _alive._ Just like all the things me and Neji have ever said to each other, it means something else, something deeper that you have to really look hard at to find. I know now. It's _alive_.

And then I see someone come to a halt in front of me, and my heart flutters a bit as I look up at Neji, staring down at me and smiling at me for the first time I've ever seen him truly smile, eyes clouded with love and emotion, the same feelings I can feel for him, and I smile too as he says in a voice that to me feels like the freedom of a bird taking flight, while holding out a dandelion in my direction, simply, very simply,

"I told you."

I guess I don't have to tell him just yet. We don't know what exactly is to come, in a time where things like worms and dandelions can open our eyes. But right now, it's time to understand how much I've _really_ learned.

Maybe someday we'll learn something else. We have a lot of time ahead of us.

We'll see.

_But I believe the world is burning to the ground  
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out  
Let's see how far we've come  
Well I, believe, its all, coming to an end  
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,  
Let's see how far we've come_

_The End_

--

:)

Re-read while listening to _California_ by _Phantom Planet_.  
I really recommend listening to it while reading this chapter. :)

REVIEW!  
I want: erm, I'm not gonna be picky, since it's the end, but  
…let's say 200. x)  
we'll see, ne? ;)  
Epilogue's to come soon! :D  
thanks for reading!  
xmarachanx


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